


Big Deal You Get to Fly

by NewLeeland



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But it is me, F/M, Fluff, Human K-2SO (Star Wars), M/M, Rogue Airlines AU, So you know ;), Some angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:55:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28693560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewLeeland/pseuds/NewLeeland
Summary: The airborne adventures of the crew of Rogue One, lead aeroplane of Rogue Airlines.
Relationships: Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso, Chirrut Îmwe/Baze Malbus, Galen Erso/Lyra Erso
Kudos: 16





	Big Deal You Get to Fly

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SleepyKalena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepyKalena/gifts).



Cassian hadn’t expected to find Kay inside the pilot’s lounge and above all else not at the bar. His friend wasn’t one for social interactions at any point, even less so in a comparatively small room full of strangers - one of them might just think about starting a conversation with him.

Exchanging the briefest of looks with the airport employee at the reception while entering, Cassian turned the badge hanging around his neck towards the young man, who accepted it with a polite nod. Relieved he could not detect any form of “they allow guy like him to to fly” feelings he got all too often, Cassian continued towards the bar and the lanking form of his co-pilot, James Kay. His spindly body looked out of place on the bar stool, a yet untouched glass of an unidentifiable juice - orange perhaps - in front of him as he stared out the picture window towards the airport field, already busy in the morning hours.

The bar - basically just a long counter covering the side of the room not consisting of big glass windows - was tended to by another young man, who stopped whatever he was doing on his phone long enough for Cassian to place his own order. Non-alcoholic of course - he and Kay had a flight soon.

His friend had of course noticed his approach, but only reacted when Cassian plopped into the stool next to him. “I see you have finally gotten up, Cassian,” he remarked, though not unkindly. Kay’s voice had been described as robotic by more than a few colleagues, passengers, airport workers and once even a tower who had asked them how they managed to get a license for a fully-automated pilot. If you got to know him closer - precious few did - you learned to notice the fine nuances that made James Kay. This remark was fond exasperation and Cassian returned it in kind.

“Well, Kay, ever since I, eh, changed my rooming” - why was he blushing?, he asked himself as the bar keeper places his own juice in front of him - “I found it easier to sleep. You know, without images of burning planes and screaming people in the back of my head?” Cassian allowed himself a teasing smile to hide his slight blush. Why didn’t he think of something less… vulnerable to a counter-attack.

And Kay duly obliged. “Yes, I am sure sharing a room with Jyn Erso did increase the amount of time you spend sleeping considerably,” he deadpanned. Cassian blushed again, sending a small glare towards the bartender whose ears had perked up. The young man scowled, clearly feeling cheated out of his morning gossip and returned to polishing a few glasses at the other end of the counter.

Kay had noticed his friend’s abashment and decided to throw him a bone in the usual Kay way. “The extent of your activities inside your shared accomodations does not concern me as long as I am not forced to witness them with my own ears.” He gave Cassian a quick look-over, scanning him for signs of tiredness. “You look well rested enough. Bodhi has already volunteered to do the take-off and the first few hours, I will take care of the rest.”

Cassian nodded. “Suits me. The poor fellows at Schiphol will be glad to hear their favourite pilot has returned. You remember their tower chief has forbidden you to correct their ‘suggestions’ regarding approach even if they ensure a statistical improvement of their current patterns?”

Their banter might sound a bit too teasing were somebody to overhear them, but the lounge was comparatively empty, with only a few other pilots sitting in on the smaller tables dotted across the room, reading newspapers or having a cup of coffee in silence. Everyone had their own way to work through the small amount of nervousness left before each and every take-off. Neither he nor Kay were people others would describe as ‘funny’, but the banter was easier than Kay’s sometimes rather morbid preparations.

Although he had to admit, they had also one big upside he would be thankful for a quite long time. Hopefully forever.

-

_ “For tonight, I think we ought to watch ‘Fire in the Sky’, Cassian. I believe it showcases resourcefulness and although ultimately unsuccessful, the devotion and work ethic that are something which we should aspire to imitate should we ever find us in a similar position.” _

_ Cassian groaned, throwing his head back onto the pillow and covering his eyes with his arms. He loved James Kay the way he loved his few friends, but on evenings before flights, he would prefer to be anywhere else than in the same room as the tall Englishman. As a roommate, Kay was rather perfect. He never sneaked any girls into the room, was quiet and cleanly, made coffee first thing in the morning and was generally not at all unpleasant to be around (despite claims to the opposite by many of his former co-pilots). _

_ But there was one thing about James Kay’s pre-flight rituals he could not stand: His time-honoured custom to watch documentaries of air crashes. Mayday, Seconds from Disaster, Aircrash Confidential - whatever there was, Kay watched it meticulously, scoffing, taking notes and providing running commentary and statistics galore. _

_ For Cassian, who just wanted to get a solid nine hours of sleep, it was torture. He knew he was a good pilot and how low the chances of anything happening were, but that didn’t mean he needed some extra worst case scenarios burned into his head just before he tried to get some rest. _

_ “The chances of one of these cases happening on our flight tomorrow are 0.000134 percent, Cassian. But if we study them carefully, we can increase our chances of survival by 10.78 percent!” His friend had claimed when he had carefully breached the topic after they had gotten to know each other well enough for Cassian to feel comfortable criticizing him. It was hard to argue to Kay when he brought up logic - well, it was hard to argue with Kay on any day - and Cassian just lacked the energy to complain. If these images were the price he had to pay to fly with someone who didn’t look down on him - despite his general air of superiority, Kay never treated him like he was inferior once, even before they knew each other - he would pay it. _

_ Up until recently at least. If asked he would of course lie very believably, but ever since the regular crew of Rogue One included a small, feisty, green-eyed flight engineer (“These positions are obsolete, Cassian. And even if, I am more than qualified to handle these duties. So is Bodhi!”), the images he saw in those at times tasteless recreations of famous air disasters touched him differently. Anyone who flew knew the risk of it and Cassian had resigned himself that if the worst case happened, he would die trying to protect his passengers, regardless of his own life. But since Jyn came aboard… _

_ He loved Kay, he loved Bodhi and he loved Baze & Chirrut, their weird (married?) pair of on-board security experts and general jacks-of-all-trades. He would sacrifice himself to protect them without hesitation. Yet the images in his sleep, regardless if they were of a cabin flooded with smoke from a raging fire, a terrorist hijacking or even a sudden loss of pressure, always centered around two green-golden eyes looking at him in desperation he had never seen in real life (and begged he would never see, ever) before she was lost in the smoke, sucked out of the cabin or…. _

_ “For the passengers, the end must have come mercifully quick. If they weren’t already unconscious, the impact obliterated the plane, leaving zero chance for any survivors,” the narrator’s voice said serenely, but one could not help but feel his apparent grief was false and masked the fact that his employer exploited the deaths of hundreds of people for some sick cinematic drama. _

_ He fell asleep soon after, tossing and turning again as the images yet again returned. Somewhere, his subconscious knew nothing of it was real, but that didn’t mean it was less painful to see over and over again. _

_ Jyn being sucked out of a door that was torn away during an uncontrolled descent, her green eyes widened in panic as he lost grip of her arm. _

_ Jyn being shot by a man in grey (did he know him?), standing defiantly between her attacker and the pilot’s cabin. _

_ Jyn trapped in a fiery inferno, clutching the crystal necklace of her mother, her eyes closed and muttering a prayer… _

_ Cassian shot up in bed with a muffled scream, covered in sweat, his heart beating like he had just completed a sprint. Ignoring Kay’s worried questions, he just grabbed his parka from a nearby chair, rushed into a pair of slippers and tore through the door, down the corridor where Jyn’s room was. _

_ Rational Cassian would later question how he knew the number and how utterly unacceptable it was to hammer against the door of one of your female flight crew members in the middle of the night, not to speak of the other guests in the airport hotel. But Nightmare Cassian had to make sure she was safe, as ridiculous as it sounded. _

_ To his relief, the door opened, revealing Jyn in a simple pyjama, green eyes hazed with sleep, the necklace resting on her chest. “Cassian,” she asked, confused expression immediately changing to worried once she noted his appearance. “What’s wrong?” _

_ “I…..,” he stumbled, his shock wearing off and reminding him how utterly unacceptable he behaved. But Jyn’s worried look made him continue and he wanted nothing more than to get that expression from her lemon-shaped, lovely face. “Kay was watching one of these documentaries again and I just…” He couldn’t continue. You did not confess an inappropriate attraction to your co-worker at 3 am on a hotel floor while both of you were wearing pyjamas for Christ’s sake! _

_ Jyn’s eyebrows moved to meet each other, worry replaced with righteous fury. “That insensitive robot! What is wrong with him! It is high time I gave him a piece of my mind.” Attempting to maneuver her tiny, perfect body past him, she attempted to do just that. Jyn Erso did not care that it was the middle of the night. If she felt someone close to her - and his heart started beating faster again when he realized the one was him - was threatened, she immediately went into action. Like when that racist airport security guy had attempted to arrest Bodhi when he was trying to visit the pilot’s lounge, because he “looked like a terrorist” and she absolutely tore apart the much taller man with a ferocity even Baze found slightly unsettling. (Rogue Airlines were banned from using that airport, but Monica Mothma, their boss, had accepted that with a ‘Good riddance’ and in fact praised her employees.) _

_ Ever so slightly, Cassian moved to block her path, not to stop her or box her in, but to slow her and get her to reconsider. “It is fine. But could I, could I… maybe sleep in your room tonight?” Jyn’s expression changed again, this time from fury to surprise and even though it was dark, Cassian could swear her blush matched his. Then he realized what that request must have sounded like. _

_ “I’m sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate, I mean… if you have a chair or a couch or something… I’m so sorry, this is so…” Jyn cut off his rambling with one wicked little smile, the corner of her mouth lifting in a way that was teasing, quirky and so… Jyn. “Well, Captain” - Cassian could feel heat rushing away from his brain due to the way she said his title - “if you wanted to sleep with me, all you had to do was ask.” Rising to her tip-toes, she carefully pressed her lips against Cassian. _

_ For a few seconds, he was far too astonished to react but just when Jyn seemed to pull back, the worry returning to her face, the “JYN!” part of his brain overrode the security settings regarding unacceptable activity with co-workers and he kissed her back, his hands softly bracketing her cheeks, slightly raising her head to meet his, all the while keeping the touch soft enough so she could pull away at any point. _

_ She didn’t. Instead she grabbed his parka with one hand, the other wandering to the back of his head to pull him down into a more comfortable position. Her kiss tasted like vanilla, a hint of peppermint toothpaste, and hope. It became his favourite flavour that very instant. _

_ With body control that would have made a contortionist proud, Jyn’s maintained the kiss while kicking the door closed with her foot before dragging him to her bed. Still, fully caught up in the ongoing kiss, Cassian showed no resistance. The images in his head of a fictional Jyn in despair were overwritten by Jyn’s taste, touch and the feeling of a very much alive, very warm Jyn and he could have cried out of relief. _

_ Five hours later, he was awoken not by Kay’s usual ringtone of an old-school alarm clock, but by the sunlight falling on his face. On his chest lay a sleeping but smiling Jyn, her arms tightly around him - comforting and yet not restraining him. They both still had their clothes on, he realized with a sense of relief. _

_ Before he could question any of what had happened, the warm human using him as a pillow awakened and kissed him again, eliminating all thoughts of apologies, airline fraternization guidelines and concerns. What were they compared to a pair of mischievously grinning green eyes looking at him? _

_ From this day on, Cassian had a different roommate. _

_ - _

“You are thinking of Jyn again, aren’t you?” Kay’s voice broke through his fond recollections and instinctively, Cassian adopted a more refined sitting position. “Bloody hell, Cassian, how long has it been since you two saw each other? An hour, two?”

_ Too long _ , Cassian thought, but he would not tell Kay that and give him more ammunition. “I do hope she is less distracted than you when it comes to her work,” Kay continued. “I would hate for her missing a potentially fatal error in our plane just because you two are sappy idiots.”

Cassian’s reply was a bit more steely with a natural defensive mode he had whenever Jyn was mentioned. Couples did adopt things from each other, he mused. “Jyn is far too professional for any of that,” he rebuked his friend. Kay and Jyn had a rough start, once again proving that sharing a home country meant nothing, even in an international business. Jyn was headstrong, prone to devastatingly accurate yet scathing comments and at times a bit impulsive where Kay was calm, collected and utterly methodical with a sarcastic streak. Both of them combined were a terrible sight to behold and Cassian was glad they were on his side.

“That is true. For all her flaws, Jyn Erso is good at what she does. Exceptional even.” Cassian raised his left eyebrow in question at his friend. Such compliments from Kay were rare. What had been in this juice? “I must admit I would not even board a plane that hasn’t been checked by Jyn Erso.”

Cassian was frankly speechless - it was a massive statement from Kay. In a world where compliments were thrown around haphazardly at times, Kay always meant exactly what he said. While for others this would have been an over-the-top exaggeration, Kay meant every word of it.

Perhaps his friend had realized what he had said, because he drained his juice in one go before getting up. “Still, we should probably go and meet up with her before she finishes her job and decides to visit us. We do not need another airport banning us due to her tendency to start fights just because they won’t let her into the pilot’s lounge.”

Cassian emptied his own glass before following his friend. Yes, Jyn would do that. In her fatigues most probably. One more reason why he loved her.

They had almost reached the door when a voice with an accent similar to Jyn’s but a much cooler undertone stopped them in their tracks. “Captain Andor, Captain Kay. A word if you please.”

Turning towards the voice with an internal sigh, Cassian saw the speaker approaching them in a way that signalled urgency while at the same time conveying that he would hurry for nobody. The man was perhaps already fifty judging from his gray hair that matched his grey pilot’s uniform, a gaunt face with noticeable cheekbones giving no emotions away. He almost looked dead or like a shark, Cassian wondered.

Captain Wilhuff Tarkin was the head pilot of Imperial Airlines, a Dutch-British rival of Rogue Airlines that had suffered a publicity disaster a year ago when their head chairman Paul Patine was arrested for several charges including bribery, attempted murder, sexual harassment and showing up at a gala event in nothing but a bathrobe. The combination of these charges was enough to even condemn a notoriously untouchable man like Patine to a lengthy prison sentence and his subordinates were left to pick up the pieces. Cassian did not like the man, but he could respect that Tarkin was an excellent pilot who continued flying in addition to his now extensive groundwork duty. Imperial Airlines was an at times shady rival of the Rogues, but work ethic demanded to spare the man at least a bare minimum of their time.

“Captain Tarkin,” Cassian and Kay replied with a brief nod that made them look way too synchronized and Tarkin’s following nod hid a slight smirk. “We are on our way to our flight…,” Kay started, trailing out to give the man a chance to reply, which he did with the slightest hint of a smile that was more unsettling than comforting. “It will only take a moment,” the Englishman said, underlining his point by remaining standing and not inviting them to take a seat which his formal manners normally would have dictated, regardless of his opinion concerning the people he talked to.

“One of our recent flights out of India returned to Heathrow with a rather noticeable piece of hedge struck in the landing gear. None of the pilots who had flown the different stages of the route did admit that they had been the one to hit the shrubbery, but one of them was quick to lay blame on his colleague. The one who took off from Calcutta to be precise.” Tarkin stopped his monologue to glance at Cassian and Kay individually before continuing. “Since you have flown the same route quite recently, I was wondering if you could help my enquiry concerning the existence of a hedgerow at the edge of said runway.”

Cassian considered himself a rather attentive person - a spy, Chirrut had joked once - but he was beaten to an answer by Kay, who probably could have even told Tarkin the biological classification of the hedges on all airports around the world, their height and when the last time was when they had been trimmed. “There is no hedge at Calcutta. The only hedge on the route of Imperial Airlines Flight 451 is at Ranjibad International Airport.”

Tarkin’s eyes turned to slits and his smile morphed into something predatory. Definitely a shark. “Ranjibad… Ozzel, you lying, little buffoon.” Then as if remembering he wasn’t alone, his face returned to his usual, stony expression combined with a slightly unsettling smile. “Gentlemen, thank you for your help. Have a safe flight!”

“More problems for Imperial Airlines?” Cassian wondered aloud to Kay as they watched the man return to his small table in the corner. His friend just shrugged. Maybe something to tell Draven about when they returned to home base?

-

“I’m sorry, Mama, if this is a bad time…”

“Nonsense, don’t be ridiculous, Jyn,” Lyra Erso’s voice replied from the other side of the world. “I am glad you called, always am. In fact, it helps me keep track of your father in case he sneaks out for some extra work he isn’t allowed to do.”

That brought a smile on Jyn’s lips, although it was tainted a bit. For some time in her youth, her parents had fought bitterly due to both being pig-headed and way too devoted to their work. Young Jyn had feared her small family might be torn apart by it until the date that insidious Krennic had shown up at their door, trailed by a bunch of cronies in black suits.

_ “Come work for me, Galen. We were this close to greatness..” _

For a moment, her father had looked tempted before grabbing the smirking man by his cape and literally throwing him out of the door of their small house. The very next day, Galen had resigned his job at Imperial Engineering for good, announcing his retirement. Ever since then, he, Lyra and Jyn had gone where her mother’s work took her.

“How’s Hawaii?” Jyn asked, quick to suppress the negative emotions. These times were in the past. “How is Dad coping with the heat?”

“Your father reminds me a lot of you, Jyn,” Lyra answered with a fond smile in her voice. “He needs to pace himself better, he isn’t so young anymore. But he loves to stargaze and if you give me a few more months, he will know the crystals nearly as well as I do. Or he will draw up plans for a better vehicle to explore the volcanoes.”

Lyra’s humour was infectious, always had been and despite her original reason for the call, Jyn couldn’t help but feel relaxed. The check had gone well, Bodhi, Chirrut and Baze had been their usual wonderful selves and they would soon prepare for boarding. Her thoughts drifted off to Cassian and his ridiculously adorable, goofy smile when he had watched her. Seriously, the man was a sap of epic proportions. No rom-com she had ever watched featured a man just gazing at his love interest while she was spreading butter on her bread roll.

“You are doing alright Jyn?” Lyra’s voice brought her back to the present. Jyn shook her head to clear it before replying.

“Yes, Ma, everything is fine. I just… you know, like to call before we take-off. That’s all.” It was rather silly really. Cassian, Kay and Bodhi were great pilots and Rogue Airlines took their security measures seriously. Yet Jyn knew well enough that even such precautions could mean nothing if fate conspired against you. Nearly every person she loved was with her on the plane in case something went wrong, but she just needed to talk to the two outside of it before every flight. Just in case.

“I know, Jyn. I’m glad you do.” Her mother knew. Chirrut once remarked that Jyn was pretty much her father’s daughter, but not even he knew her as well as her mother. Only Lyra. And well, one more person.

“How is Saw doing?” She asked, trying to avoid getting too sappy. Too long a break in their conversation and Lyra would either detect that she was worried or thinking about Cassian and tease her.

“In Poland again, conducting another investigation. Fascinating how accepting people can be if they support your world view,” Lyra replied and Jyn could tell she was a bit exasperated. Knowing each other’s ticks goes both ways, like trust; someone had once told her.

A certain someone who was walking across the tarmac right now, looking far too good considering how little sleep he had gotten last night. (Jyn fought a blush.)

“I think I’m gonna go, find your father in case he got lost in the garden again. Will you be alright, Jyn?”

Jyn couldn’t take her eyes off Cassian who climbed the stairs to their plane’s door, a smile on his way too handsome face. “Yeah, Mom. I am. Love you.”

“Love you too, Stardust. Have a safe flight,” Lyra replied before hanging up just as Cassian came to a stop in front of Jyn.

“Hey,” he started, a slight blush on his face - even after three years of being together, the man still looked at her like she was every star in the night sky. Jyn knew she would never grow tired of it.

Judging from Kay’s comment, she must have looked just as lovestruck herself. “While you two continue to stare into each other’s eyes, I’m going to find Bodhi and help with, you know, the work we are supposed to do.” Jyn heard him leave for the cockpit, but knew the fondness behind his complaints. Leaning forward in perfect synchronisation, Cassian’s and her lips met and her worries flew away.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I promised this AU some two and a half years ago... Yeah, I do keep my promises, even if takes forever sometime. :D
> 
> Maybe, I'll add some more oneshots in the future, one never knows. I definitely have some headcanons. ;)
> 
> If you remember Paul Patine from one of my other AUs, take 100 points. If you can tell where the story title is from, take another 100. And if you can tell where the small Tarkin episode is from, take 500!


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